model 1 of 3

Definition of modelnext

model

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adjective

model

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun model differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of model are example, exemplar, ideal, and pattern. While all these words mean "someone or something set before one for guidance or imitation," model applies to something taken or proposed as worthy of imitation.

a decor that is a model of good taste

When could example be used to replace model?

The meanings of example and model largely overlap; however, example applies to a person to be imitated or in some contexts on no account to be imitated but to be regarded as a warning.

children tend to follow the example of their parents

Where would exemplar be a reasonable alternative to model?

The synonyms exemplar and model are sometimes interchangeable, but exemplar suggests either a faultless example to be emulated or a perfect typification.

cited Joan of Arc as the exemplar of courage

When might ideal be a better fit than model?

The words ideal and model are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, ideal implies the best possible exemplification either in reality or in conception.

never found a job that matched his ideal

In what contexts can pattern take the place of model?

Although the words pattern and model have much in common, pattern suggests a clear and detailed archetype or prototype.

American industry set a pattern for others to follow

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of model
Noun
While data centers have steadily grown over the past decades with internet usage, the AI boom with models like ChatGPT require immense computational power requiring additional and bigger data centers. Charlotte Observer, 27 Jan. 2026 Founded in 2024, Transformer Lab is building open-source tools that developers can use to build, train and evaluate advanced AI models. Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Those newer models will make up an increasing share of sales going into next year as the remaining 2025 model-year vehicles are cleared out. Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 3 Dec. 2025 If a faux Christmas tree is top of mind, the model senior SEO analyst Stewart Savin tested is over $400 off right now. Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 30 Nov. 2025
Verb
The effects of this disruption are hard to model. Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 9 Jan. 2026 For investors, the adaptability of warehouse formats supports multi-jurisdiction deployment, making the Panattoni model highly scalable. CBS News, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for model
Recent Examples of Synonyms for model
Noun
  • Indoors, however, there is no winter to slow their reproduction, and female aphids can continue to produce nymphs all year without pause.
    Jon VanZile, The Spruce, 30 Jan. 2026
  • In 1886, Berliner began experimenting with methods of sound recording and reproduction.
    Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • This deluxe doll features Rumi in her all-black tactical gear and her Four Tiger sword.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 28 Jan. 2026
  • Kenneth Handler told The Times in a 1989 story that there were few similarities between him and the doll named after him.
    Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Everybody’s scrolling and everybody’s skipping, but to actually sit down, put a record on and consume it, that’s a very romantic idea.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 30 Jan. 2026
  • As outré as Camel Lights gets, the presence of such treasured guests and ideas apparently rattling around Geologist’s brain for 28 years conveys the sense that this is a genuinely personal work—not a one-off novelty.
    Zach Schonfeld, Pitchfork, 30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
  • Utica greens is a classic Italian American dish that goes by that name everywhere except Utica itself.
    Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
  • Straight to It The ever-classic straight cut is the jean of the moment, thanks to several high-fashion turns around the spring/summer runways.
    Rosie Jarman, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • In my two-level penthouse suite, for example, quietly floral wallpaper, gray-velvet sofas and armchairs, and patterned cream tiles with gold accents in the bathrooms made for a sophisticated, yet welcoming space.
    Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Jan. 2026
  • The institutions studied by political scientists do not exist outside ideology but are simply patterned instances of ideology—and if ideology changes drastically enough, the institutions change with it.
    Jason Blakely, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Noun
  • But where these scores are alternately jazzy and extraterrestrial, his latest solo album—a follow-up to 2023’s Wendy—is planted firmly here on earth, miniature tableaux of costume dramas and tomato sandwiches rendered in pithy pop couplets.
    Linnie Greene, Pitchfork, 21 Jan. 2026
  • The Circus Museum features the world’s largest collection of miniatures—more than 42,000 pieces that give guests a peek into the history and early days of The Ringling circus.
    Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 20 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Behind her, there’s a fallen mannequin of a man with blood around his mouth.
    Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Two of the mannequins will be replicas of local dogs, a black poodle and golden retriever.
    Elliott Harrell, Southern Living, 27 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Late on December 22, for example, mere hours after the shooting, detectives visited Barry and James, both of them still in the ER with conditions listed as critical, to record their official statements.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026
  • For example, the recent announcement regarding a $200 billion MBS purchase helped push rates downward.
    Aly J Yale, CBS News, 28 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Model.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/model. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.

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